Computer Gear

Voamoko Type-C Wireless Numeric Pad with USB Hub review

REVIEW – Do you wish your laptop had a real number pad on it? There are definitely times where I’ve had a project pop up during a trip where a full size keyboard was nowhere to be found. Voamoko’s Type-C Wireless Numeric Pad with USB Hub might just be the solution that you can keep in your bag without taking up much space.

What is it?

The Type-C Wireless Numeric Pad with USB Hub is a portable number pad that you can use with your laptop for the feel of a full size numeric keyboard without the bulk. The built-in USB hub adds some needed backwards compatibility to newer computers.

What’s in the box?

Numeric key pad
USB cable (Type-C to Type-C)
User manual

Hardware specs

– Support: Windows/macOS/iOS/Android (Some shortcut keys are not supported on macOS & iOS)
– Keyswitch life & response: 500 million strokes times & 5 millisecond
– Design: 34 key aluminum keypad
– USB hub: Two USB-A 3.0 ports (when connected with USB-C cable)
– Wireless: Bluetooth 3.0 for keypad only functionality
– Controls: Power switch, BT pairing button and LED indicator
– Power: Input of 5V at 100mA, Output at 900mA per port
– Duration: 2 hours to charge, 50 hours use, ~2 months standby
– Dimensions: ~ 5.5″ x 4.5″ and 0.5″ at top of the ramped design

Design and features

Voamoko’s numeric pad was clearly designed to aesthetically match MacBooks from Apple. It’s available in both silver and space gray so you can complete your kit. It’s also compatible with PCs running Windows and iOS devices.

The solution provides a true number pad for anyone craving that extended keyboard feel that’s missing from almost all laptops. Because it’s Bluetooth you can move it exactly where you need it.

The bottom is plastic which helps with wireless signals and the four rubber feet keep it from moving around.

It also adds two USB-A ports when connected with the included USB-C to C cable, which makes it easier to continue using any peripherals you haven’t upgraded to USB-C.

A power switch and a paring button can be found on the right side where you can see the tapered design very similar to the Apple Magic Trackpad.

Setup

First you’ll need to connect the keypad’s USB-C cable and connect it to your computer or a wall adapter.

You’ll see a solid red light at the back of the keypad confirming it’s charging. Allow about 2 hours for a full charge. Note that you will not be able to use the keypad until you setup Bluetooth.

Slide the switch so that green is showing (instead of red) and then press the small round button to place it in pairing mode. On the back you’ll now see a flashing blue light next to the red light. On you computer open your Bluetooth preference panel, look for “Bluetooth Keypad” and click connect.

Performance

I use a standing desk and a large monitor at work with Apple’s Magic Trackpad 2 and full-size Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad. It’s a great setup as I work in spreadsheets and gantt programs regularly. The funny part is that I’m actually not at my desk for the majority of the day. When I’m in meeting rooms and elsewhere I’m limited to the numbers along the top of my Macbook Pro. Definitely works, but it’s just not the same as having a number pad when you’re really trying to enter numbers quickly and accurately.

The Voamoko Numeric Pad straight up solves this problem. It’s lightweight, small and fits in a back pocket or between your hand and the laptop you’re lugging around anyway. Just place it next to your computer and switch it on.

When placed directly next to the right side of my 15″ laptop it’s lays out just like the keys on my Magic Keyboard.

The USB hub is a great feature as you likely have some hard drives, peripherals or that USB-A to lighting cable that came with your iPhone that you connect to your computer with some frequency. It’s a welcome benefit that doesn’t add volume to the keypad in any negative way. It does mean that you need to keep that cable handy or always hanging out of the back of the keypad.

That included cable is short (only x inches) with straight connectors. I connect it to the right side of my laptop since I’m right handed. Does that mean that this could be a great solution for left handed users? As “I’m am not left-handed” (Princess Bride sword fighting scene playing in my head now), I can’t speak to if that would actually be a benefit since you’re likely used to standard key layouts. But back to my previous point, connecting it to the right side ports pushes it further away from my laptop to a point that it starts to feel awkward.

This is either not an issue at all, or an easily remedied problem. If you are only using the number pad functionality and charge the keypad when not it use, you won’t run into this issue. If you want the USB hub functionality, a cable with a 90º connector on the computer end of the cable, or just a longer cable that can reach around to ports on the left side will solve the problem.

As for the actually hub functionality, the USB 3.0 seems to work great. I connected a 3.0 Seagate drive through the keypad and moved a large file (1.36GB) from my computer to the drive in about 10 seconds.

There also seems to be no issue using both USB ports simultaneously. As with any hard drives, make sure your cables are fully pushed in and try not to bump things around while working with them. They all tend to disconnect way too easily.

I was also able to easily pair it with my iPad Pro. I’m not sure I’ll be using it in that scenario very often, but it’s great to know that it can. Finally, there is no backlighting on the keypad which is to be expected, but just wanted to make sure you know.

What I like

Number pad with my laptop!
Lightweight and low profile
Wireless in number pad only mode
USB 3.0 hub when used with cable

What I’d change

Longer cable to reach to far side of laptop

Final thoughts

If you miss having a numeric pad when you’re on your laptop, this is a great solution. If you need a USB-A 3.0 ports on your laptop, this is a great solution. Either of those alone plus the solid build quality, portability and price puts the on the Voamoko Type-C Wireless Numeric Pad with USB Hub on the recommended list for me.

Price: $49.99
Where to buy: Amazon or Voamoko
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Voamoko.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Computer Gear, Keyboard, USB hub

Voamoko Type-C Wireless Numeric Pad with USB Hub review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 6, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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Huion HS610 graphics drawing tablet review

REVIEW – Creating art on your laptop using a mouse, or on your phone/tablet using a finger is doable, but a specially designed digitizer tablet and pen can take your drawings from doodles to Dali (he’s an artist, google him).

What is it?

The Huion HS610 is a graphics drawing tablet that you can use with your Windows computer, Mac, and even an Android device.

Hardware specs

Active Area: PC mode: 254 x 158.8mm (10 x 6.25in); Phone mode: 158.8 x 99.2mm
Resolution: 5080 LPI
Report Rate: 266PPS
Pen Pressure: 8192 Levels
OS Support: Windows 7 or later， macOS 10.12 or later Android 6.0 or later
Compatible with Photoshop and other art programs

What’s in the box?

Huion HS610 Graphics Tablet
Battery-free Pen
Micro USB Cable
Pen Holder
Pen Nibs x 8
OTG Adapter (Micro USB)
OTG Adapter (USB-C)
Quick Start Guide

Design and features

The HS610 is a 13.75 x 8.25 inch sized graphics tablet that is thin and light enough that it doesn’t take up too much space or bulk in your gear bag.

It has a black plastic shell with a large drawing surface that has a slightly textured surface to give the feel of pen on paper.

Along the left side of the tablet is a touch ring that helps you easily zoom in or out of your canvas, and adjust your brush and scroll the page. The ring doesn’t rotate, it’s just touch sensitive.

There are also 12 user-defined physical express keys and along the top edge of the drawing area are 16 soft-express keys.

Note that the touch ring and express buttons CAN’T be used with Android which is a bummer.

Also on the left side of the tablet is a micro USB port which is used to both charge the tablet and connect the tablet to your computer or Android device.

The pen features 8192 levels of pen pressure sensitivity and ±60° tilt support along with a battery-free design so you won’t have to worry about it running out of juice or having to charge it on a regular basis.

The pen has replaceable nibs (extras come with the tablet) and a function button on the barrel that will let you change from brush to eraser.

The drawing tablet and pen come with a handy “ink well” to hold the pen when it’s not being used. The holder also holds the extra nibs.

Let’s draw something!

To get started using the Huion HS610, you have to first charge the drawing tablet using the included micro USB cable. Doing so will cause a tiny status LED to turn on. This LED is so small that it’s hard to see.

Once the tablet is charged, the next step is to install the driver on your Windows or Mac OS device. If you plan to use it with your Android device, you just need to make sure that it’s running Android OS 6.0 or newer and you use the OTG adapter for micro USB or USB-C.

I tested the drawing tablet with my 12inch MacBook and my Huawei P30 Pro Android smartphone.

With my MacBook, I had to install the driver software which gives you the ability to test and customize various features like the pressure sensitivity and function buttons.

I then used the drawing tablet with Photoshop on my Macbook. I really like that you don’t have to worry about your fingers or the palm of your hand getting in the way of your drawings because the HS610 only detects the pen and not your hand/fingers like an iPad might.

If you’ve never used a drawing tablet before, it does take some time to get used to looking at your computer screen while you’re drawing on the tablet instead of the “paper” under the pen tip. That said, it doesn’t take that long to get used to it.

Testing with Android is a little different. First of all, you don’t have to install a special driver. You just plug the HS610 into your phone or tablet with the included cable and OTG adapter. It works like connecting a mouse to your Android device, it shows a cursor on the screen that you can move around.

Of course, you’ll need a drawing app. I tested with Autodesk Sketchbook. Just be aware that you’ll only be able to draw on the left third of the drawing tablet which felt cramped to me. I also noticed that the pressure sensitivity does not work on Android. At least it didn’t in the Autodesk Sketchbook app.

What I like

Pen doesn’t need batteries
Can be used with Windows, Mac, and Android
Android does not require a special driver
Lots of function keys

What needs to be improved

Not compatible with iOS devices
Tablet has to be physically connected to the computer or phone
Touch ring and buttons don’t work with Android
Can only use the left third of the drawing tablet in Android mode

Final thoughts

The Huion HS610 is an affordable graphics drawing tablet that you can use with your computer, laptop, and even your Android device. It’s a shame that iOS users are left out of the fun, but that’s about the only thing to complain about with this drawing tablet. The HS610 is a fun way for artists to go digital in an inexpensive and easy way.

Price: $79.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Huion.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Art, Computer Gear, Drawing

Huion HS610 graphics drawing tablet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 17, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2 (Mango) mini travel router review

REVIEW – Since my last review of the TP-Link TL-WR802n , I found a few things that I wasn’t happy with and went on the lookout for something to address the shortcomings. After searching high and low I came across the GL.iNet range of mini routers. They have a whole series of mini routers with different specifications and their boxes are aimed not only those wanting mobile internet routers but also useful boxes to integrate into IOT type projects. In fact many of them have GPIO connectors (you can see them in the picture above). After much ummming and ahhing and weighing up specification versus price versus my use case I ended up purchasing the GL-MT300N-V2 ( Mango). How does it differ from the TL-WR802n? Read on.

What’s in the box?

Note: Once again I’m not going to get into the technical side of things with this box. You can read the specs in the top graphic or from the web site.

The Mango comes in a nice small box with just basic graphics and without any fancy colours (very dirty access card for size comparison, the only credit card I had in my wallet without personal information )

But once you open it up you get an eyeful of colour. Inside the box is an instruction manual, USB Micro cable, a nice quality Ethernet cable and an even smaller but very brightly coloured router. Everything is cardboard and recyclable which is always nice (not sure about the cable ties? )

Size

I’m still amazed by what can be fitted into this little box. Here you can see it compared to a standard credit card. At 58*58*25mm and 39g it’s a very portable device and yet gives you all the functionality of a full size router. On the top all you have is a power, a customizable and a WiFi traffic LED.

Ports

On the right hand side is a USB port, a reset switch and an on/off switch (more on that later ). The little “propeller” is just a heat dispersion hole (there’s a matching one on the otherwise blank side).

On the back is a 100 Mb WAN and LAN port. If you’re using this to wirelessly connect and need an additional LAN port you can configure the WAN port to act as an additional LAN port too for wired devices. On the right a micro USB port for power. From a WiFi perspective, it supports 2.4Ghz 802.11n only.

Because this is powered by 5V 1A, then you can easily power this by various methods: a 5V 1A AC adapter (like for your smartphone), via a USB port on a desktop/notebook/tablet or even via a powerbank. Above you can see the Mango and my Xiaomi 10000MAh powerbank (must get a shorter cable ). I haven’t timed exactly how long I get out of the powerbank but I can advise based on experience it would be at least a day.

Interface

The Mango is running OpenWRT. Anybody that’s ever played with OpenWRT will probably agree that it’s not as user friendly as the proprietary interfaces that most vendors place on their routers (mainly made for the “domestic” market). That being said, GL.iNet has written a custom interface on the top of OpenWRT, that automates and makes things much easier to do than having to enter into OpenWRT. If you want to get rid of GL.iNet’s interface you can flash it with native OpenWRT or there is also an option to load a TorGuard specific firmware.

GL.iNet has automated a lot of functions. You can see above where I’ve basically just plugged in my 4G MiFi device and the router automatically recognizes the device and sets the router up so that the USB just works as my WAN port. Normally with OpenWRT initially you’d have to research the relevant “packages” to load, use an SSH session or use the LUCI interface to load and configure the packages and then test to make sure you’ve got everything right.

On the main screen, you can see that as default you can run as a standard wired router, a repeater, a Smartphone tether or a 4G dongle router. Where required these functions are all wizard driven.

In the settings on the right you can manage all your “standard routery stuff” ; WiFi settings, set time servers, DHCP, changing your DNS servers etc. without having to delve into OpenWRT’s more complex interface.

Additionally, there’s easy access to change the unit into an Access Point, WiFi extender or a WDS bridge.

The unit supports both OpenVPN and Wireguard out of the box, and I’m guessing most people will use OpenVPN at the moment until Wireguard matures. Most VPN providers will supply .cfg files for their various servers. You just need to download and drop and drag your config files to the Mango. Much easier than using the OpenWRT native interface. By using your VPN at a router level, it means that you don’t have to have a VPN client installed on all your endpoints, and is especially useful where your end point might not have a VPN client available. Alternatively, you could even make this a VPN server rather than a client.

Remember that switch on the right hand side? It can be used as a physical switch to turn your OpenVPN or Wireguard Service off or on without having to enter the interface.

Plug in a USB drive and the unit uses SMB shares and you should be able to see your drive on most devices. Certainly works on both my Windows and Android devices easily. Useful while you’re on holidays for streaming movies or music or for backing up your photos and sharing them with your holiday buddies on your local holiday LAN

On top of that their interface scales nicely to mobile devices. Looks neat and tidy and means you don’t have to scroll all over the place like you do with some web based router interfaces on mobile devices.

The custom built GL.iNet interface is nice and makes things very simple however if you’re a bit more familiar with OpenWRT and you just want to use an interface you’re familiar with or there are things the simplified interface won’t do for you then if you go to the “Advanced” tab you get your familiar OpenWRT Luci interface.

Compared to the WR802n

My last review was based on the TP-Link TL-WR802n nano router. I bought the Mango to address a few shortcomings I’d come across since buying the WR802n:

The firmware on the TL-WR802n is proprietary and hasn’t been updated since April 2017
It doesn’t support OpenVPN, the method that most VPN providers require now (you can of course still run a client based VPN client)
The Mango supports OpenWRT which gives me much more flexibility and I only need to load what I want
The Mango has a USB port to support USB media and USB 4G dongle tethering

You can see that size wise both units are very similar.

The Mango is ever so slightly taller. But for the added WAN port, USB port and firmware functionality I’m willing to put up with the slightly larger size.

You can do all the things you can with the WR802n with the Mango but more.

Want a small video server to share? Want a small video server in your car to keep the kids happy on the long trip? Need to share a USB 4G Mifi wingle or tether a smartphone? Need to VPN your whole LAN (and hence all your devices) when you’re staying in that dodgy little hotel overseas? Want to control your devices like a roller door via WiFi? Want to set quotas on the kids for that expensive overseas 4G service you had to purchase while on holidays? These are just some of the scenarios where the Mango could be used.

Don’t get me wrong, the WR802n is still a great and tiny device and it does it’s main 5 functions well, is easy to setup and if you’ll be happy with the WR802n will all depends on your needs and requirements.

Support

I had a minor issue with my WiFi on my unit. There’s an option to email support but I used the assistance chat line (which is basically Facebook Messenger) and received a reply within 10 minutes. The technician was helpful and solved my issue quite easily. Nice to know that support is readily available. (Don’t forget time zones may, however, make a difference to response times).

What I like

Many of the reasons I liked the WR802n still stand for the GL-MT300N-V2; the size, the portability, the flexibility. However for around the same price the additional hardware ports on the Mango, the support for OpenWRT as well as it’s customized interface and all it’s functionality just expands the usage of this box so much more than the WR802n.

What I don’t like

There’s not much I don’t like about the box. If I have to be really picky, the bright yellow/orange colour is……bright. In my WR802n review, I said that it was small and discrete and not something that the IT guys on patrol will be immediately drawn to. The Mango isn’t quite so discrete

Again like the WR802n, it’s not the most powerful router in terms of processing power or WiFi range but it’s not made to be a powerhouse be all and end all unit, but a portable, “spot solution” device.

Final thoughts

If you’re in the market for a small, portable travel router it’s really pretty hard to beat, and it’s not only while you’re traveling that it’s useful either. All the basic functionality you need is all there at your fingertips and is easy to set up with GL.iNet’s custom skin over the top of OpenWRT. For me, the basic requirement is still around having my own firewalled LAN when using a public wired or wireless internet connection but the fact that I can do so much more if I want to just makes this a much more flexible solution. If you require more advanced functionality you’ve got the whole plethora of OpenWRT modules to play with and access to the OpenWRT interface. Sure I’d love a dual band AC Wifi router (WISP repeater on one channel and run my LAN on another to increase effective bandwidth) but that comes at a price (in both $$ and size). This bright little unit should see me through the next few trips away and serve me well.

Update

I’ve just loaded their latest Beta firmware on it and it includes a VPN Policy Manager in its custom interface. You can easily set a domain, IP or MAC address to either use or not use the VPN. Really handy for those devices mentioned above that might not have a native VPN client or maybe if you only want say your Netflix device to run through your VPN. Nice to know that the custom interface is still being developed to make “common” functionality easy to deploy.

Price: Approx $21
Where to buy: GL-iNet and NewEgg
Source: The sample for this review was purchased with my own funds.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Computer Gear, Routers

GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2 (Mango) mini travel router review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 15, 2019 at 8:34 am.

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Razer adds more gaming gear to their Quartz Pink product line

NEWS – Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Razer recently announced that more of their gaming products have been added to their Quartz Pink product line. Last year Razer refreshed four products in their lineup of high-performance gear with this new pink color; this year they added eight new items, including a mouse, a headset, and a laptop computer. Razer is best known as a lifestyle brand for video gamers, and with these products they’ve promised gamers girls will find an “unfair advantage in both performance and looks.”

These pink power products are available exclusively on Razer’s online store, and several are sold together in bundles, which slightly reduce the cost. Here’s the complete list of products available in Quartz Pink:

Razer Basilisk mouse
Razer Goliathus Extended Chroma mouse mat
Razer Huntsman keyboard
Razer Kraken headset
Razer Raiju Tournament Edition controller for PS4
Razer Seiren X microphone
Razer Base Station Chroma headset stand
Quartz case for Razer Phone 2

The price of these specially-colored items are same as their black and venom green counterparts; there’s no “pink tax” for the girls. Head over to razer.com for more info.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Computer Gear

Razer adds more gaming gear to their Quartz Pink product line originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 5, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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BenQ PD2700U DesignVue Designer 27″ 16:9 IPS Monitor review

REVIEW – The Gadgeteer readers that have been following my news stories and reviews already know that I am a fan of BenQ products including their monitors. As a photographer/videographer, I always need a good monitor with great color reproduction and enough display space to assist with the many hours of editing I do each week. For this review, I got the chance to work with the BenQ PD2700U DesignVue Designer 27″ 16:9 IPS Monitor. Let’s see if I am still a fan.

What is it?

The BenQ PD2700U DesignVue Designer 27″ 16:9 IPS Monitor is capable of a UHD 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160 with a 60 Hz refresh rate. It supports 100% of the sRGB and Rec. 709 color gamuts, as well as HDR10. It also offers three special modes – CAD/CAM, Animation, and Darkroom for different viewing/working scenarios.

What’s in the box

1 x BenQ PD2700U DesignVue Designer 27″ 16:9 IPS Monitor
1 x AC Power Cord
1 x Video Cable: DP to mini DP
1 x Video Cable: HDMI
1 x USB Cable
1 x Quick Start Guide
1 x Warranty Booklet
1 x User Manual/Driver CD-ROM

Design and features

Specifications:

Screen Size: 27”
Resolution (max.): 3840×2160
Panel Type: IPS
Backlight Technology: LED backlight
Brightness: 350 cd/㎡
Native Contrast (typ.): 1300:1
Viewing Angle (L/R; U/D) (CR>=10): 178/178
Response Time: 5ms (GtG)
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Display Colors: 1.07 billion colors
Color Gamut: 100% sRGB/Rec. 709
Display Area (mm): 596.74(H) x 335.66(V)
Pixel Pitch (mm): 0.155
PPI: 163
DCR (Dynamic Contrast Ratio) (typ.): 20M:1
Color Bit: 10bits
Audio -Built-in Speaker: 2Wx2
Headphone Jack: Yes
HDCP: 2.2
VESA Wall Mount: Yes
KVM Switch: Yes
HDMI: HDMI (v2.0) x1
DisplayPort: DisplayPort (v1.4) x1
Mini DisplayPort: MiniDisplayPort (v1.4) x1
DP out: DP out (MST)
USB 3.0 Hub; USB Downstream x 4; USB Upstream x 2
See the full list of specifications here.

Features

4K UHD High Resolution with HDR10 Support
The monitor is optimized for visually intensive work in animation, visual effects, graphics, and photos. It is equipped with HDR10 (ST2084) technology so designers can preview their work in HDR during the editing process to ensure the perfect final product.
AQCOLOR technology
Supports the concept of “Accurate Reproduction”.
Reference-Grade Color Performance with 10-Bit, 100% sRGB, and Rec. 709
Covers 100% of sRGB and Rec. 709 color spaces. Its advanced IPS wide viewing angle technology minimizes color shift to produce incredibly accurate color. 100% sRGB color gamut accuracy adheres to industry standards in digital production, and Rec. 709 reproduces accurate resolution, frame rate, color gamut, gamma, and white point performance in high-definition video work.
Professionally Factory Calibrated for Supreme Color Accuracy
Each BenQ Designer Monitor is individually factory calibrated to assure precise Delta-E and Gamma performance.
CAD/CAM Mode
Offers superior contrast for lines and shapes in technical illustrations, and accentuates the finest details to produce incredible display performance in Pro/E, SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, CATIA, or other design software.
Animation Mode
Animation Mode enhances the brightness of dark areas without overexposing bright regions and provides 10 levels of display brightness to bring out every subtlety clearly in any ambient lighting.
Darkroom Mode
Adjusts image brightness and contrast for superb clarity and sharp details, and creates the optimal setting for work in darkened post-processing environments.
Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM) Switch
KVM Switch function allows users to display and control content from two different PC systems on one screen using just one keyboard and mouse to save space and improve work efficiency.
Daisy-Chain Configuration Capability
The Monitor is a daisy-chain-enabled* display equipped with multi-stream transport technology (MST), allowing you to extend your notebook’s screen across several displays using DisplayPort output for a multiple monitor setup.
DualView Mode
DualView Mode allows you to showcase designs in two modes simultaneously side-by-side without the need for two screens.

Eye-care Technology

Brightness Intelligence Technology
Eliminate Eye Strain Any Time of Day by monitoring ambient light in your viewing environment and actively adjusts screen brightness for the most comfortable viewing experience possible.
Low Blue Light Technology
Unique BenQ Low Blue Light Technology is designed to filter out harmful blue light, effectively diminishing eye fatigue and irritation.
ZeroFlicker Technology
ZeroFlicker technology eliminates flickering at all brightness levels and effectively reduces eye fatigue.

Right out of the box, the monitor looks sleek with a relatively small bezel. The control buttons are under the bottom right-hand corner. Once you know their individual functions, using them becomes easier. In the middle of the bottom of the display, there is a light sensor.

On the back of the monitor, there are air vent holes across the top half and in the middle, there is the Vesa/Stand mounting slot.

The relatively heavy base has two metal posts that slide into the stand to provide stability when the base is secured to the stand.

Below is the upright portion of the stand that includes a metal plate that is designed to be attached to the Vesa slot on the monitor, slide rails and slots in the upright to be able to adjust the monitor vertically, and a cable management hole below.

The base slides into the upright and is secured by a wingnut in the center of the base.

Once the base and upright are assembled, the stand is inserted into the mounting slot of the monitor. There is a release button below the mounting slot on the back of the monitor to remove the stand if and when necessary.

If you are facing the back of the monitor, the connectivity ports are on the bottom right-hand side. From left to right they are HDMI socket, DisplayPort socket, Mini DisplayPort socket, 9. DisplayPort output socket (for
Multi-Stream Transport, MST), Headphone jack, USB 3.0 port (upstream 1; connecting to the PC), USB 3.0 port (upstream 2; connecting to the PC), and 4 x USB 3.0 ports (downstream; connecting to USB devices)

The only connection on the left side bottom of the monitor is the AC power jack.

Performance

Once you take the monitor out of the box, you quickly realize that from the weight of the base and the construction of the display panel that it is well built and that it will be very stable. Assembling the base to the upright and to the monitor is very quick and easy.

Once assembled, I plugged in the DisplayPort (PC End) to HDMI cable that is always hanging from my computer and ready for testing any monitor, and I turned on the monitor. Just like my previous experience with BenQ monitors, the colors were fantastic right out of the box. I quickly toggled through the display modes and could quickly see that the CAD/CAM and Darkroom Modes would be my favorites. I also tried the DisplayPort to Mini DP cable and it worked as well, but I switched back to my original cable simple because of convenience for my routine. I also performed a quick test with my mouse and keyboard connected to the monitor and the USB cable connected between the PC and the monitor via the upstream USB port. They worked with no issues, but again because of the layout of my desk and workspace and the numerous cables, I plugged my mouse and keyboard back into the powered USB hub that normally I use. I also temporarily tested the headphone jack on the monitor and it sounded clean and clear. Unfortunately, my second (Backup) workstation is down at the moment, so I was not able to properly test the KVM function. However, I intend to do so in the near future. This function has worked without issue on previous BenQ monitors that I have tested.

As with the previous BenQ monitor that I tested for manipulating the monitor itself, BenQ offers Display Pilot Software on their website that you can download and add functionality to the monitor including switching it into portrait mode. This allows you to extend the monitor to its maximum height, tilt it the full 20 degrees that it can tilt, and then rotate it 90 degrees clockwise. As I indicated in my other monitor reviews, I never use any monitor in portrait mode, and my cabling setup does not work properly when the monitor is in portrait mode.

The monitor has built-in speakers that automatically assume the default audio playback device assignment when you first connect the monitor. I use a DAC for my sound, so I changed that setting back to my preference after listening to them for a short while. The speakers sound decent considering what they are by design and are loud enough and clear enough to be effective.

In terms of working with the controls buttons to adjust the monitor, there are many settings that you can manipulate according to your preferences. The following are some diagrams from the User manual that illustrate the functions:

Application performance
For my editing and production photo and video tasks, I regularly use Adobe Premiere, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve, Capture One, and PortraitPro StudioMax.
The following are some examples of the applications in use on this monitor during my workflow as a part of my various projects:

What I like

The amazing display and color reproduction
The display modes
The connectivity options
The build quality
The built-in KVM function

What can be improved

Should include more than one HDMI and DisplayPort

Final thoughts

After working with this monitor for everyday general use as well as video and photo editing, I can truly say that I am really enjoying using it and I really appreciate the viewing modes that make it much easier on my eyes. This monitor has performed flawlessly so far without any hiccups and continues to be a permanent part of my studio desktop. If I could have a personal wishlist, the only thing that I would change is the size. I wish I could have this exact monitor in a 32″ form factor. As always, well done BenQ!!

Price: $539.99
Where to buy: BenQ or Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by BenQ.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Computer Gear, monitor

BenQ PD2700U DesignVue Designer 27″ 16:9 IPS Monitor review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 4, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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